We have camped on several small sites who have told us it is no longer viable, due to the costs incurred by rules of the two main clubs. Many only get business for a short time in summer and if a season is bad weather-wise no one books. Running costs are incurred even if no one arrives to pay.
Independent small sites, empty or not, still have lots of costs including insurance, maintenance, installation and maintenance of facilities. I expect they do a business plan and then charge and provide services in different ways but to suit their own site and circumstances. Some may charge a flat rate and include everything, others charge a basic and then add things on if people want them. They will never please all the people all the the time!:blank:
Larger sites have also to make a profit and they may have different ways of ensuring profit to cover all costs. Everything has to take into account the best way to provide the service. Too high a charge and loss of business, too little and it just won't be viable. Each business has to make judgements.
The business owner has to make decisions based on their own experience and how their business plan is calculated. I don't think a small Site makes a fortune. We used to run a food business and I have often heard people say they could buy the same thing from Lidl for half the price yet they do not have to provide, staff (even in days when there is hardly any business) electric, council tax, power, cleaning, loo rolls, hand wash, insurance, maintenance, gardening, food wastage etc and I could go on....... All these costs have to be factored in to plans.
At least with camping you have a choice of whether to use a site or not.
Comment